The Quiet Luxury
Have you ever heard the terms quiet/coded luxury? Probably not, but in a post-pandemic era, quiet is the new loud.
It’s the beginning of spring, you are on your way to have brunch with a friend and a woman wearing a mint green polo top, a pair of bootcut jeans and black leather slippers walks past you. Even though you are in one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in Manhattan, she goes unnoticed, as right behind her you see another woman, wearing a Fendi monogram skirt walking your way. What you wouldn’t be able to tell is that that first woman was wearing a Loro Piana cashmere polo that retails for more than $2,000. The woman wearing the polo also does not care if you recognise it, because the ones that do, belong to this person’s wealthy social circle.
Luxury was once even more aspirational, only reserved for a very small share of society, too expensive for most to afford, and treated with awe. But today, decades later, with the rise of social media and influencer culture, luxury products became so democratised that they are almost seen and treated as banal.
In the beginning of this month, Kanye West — the creator of the billion-dollar streetwear brand Yeezy — gifted exotic skin Birkin bags to his new girlfriend Julia Fox and her friends in honour of Julia’s birthday. Considering Birkins (especially exotic skin designs) are one of the most expensive and elusive luxury accessories, Hermès clients that see the bags as a symbol of exclusivity can feel extremely put off by the rapper’s gesture.
The luxury clientele makes use of high-end products to make statements about themselves, to create identities and to develop a sense of belonging to a certain group and social class, sometimes doing this unconsciously.
There are also those who are called “aspirational consumers”, describing a less financially-secure clientele who aspire to own luxury brands as a means to enhance their status and self-worth, while also seeking external validation. They are the ones queuing outside the stores of major luxury houses, those who don’t come from old wealth, but will save for 12 months to gift themselves a Gucci bag for Christmas to share with their followers on Instagram.
But the most expensive fashion is often the quietest, and while logomania has taken social media by storm, when It comes to luxury there are two types of brands: the loud, and the quiet.
“Loud luxury” can be spotted in the world’s most elite luxury fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Balenciaga, that showcase their collections in fashion weeks around the world, dress celebrities for the red carpet and invest in big marketing campaigns. It relies on social status being associated with the brand as an important factor to drive desire and consumption. Kylie Jenner flaunting her Fendi monogram pram on an Instagram post is an example of luxury that screams, and not whispers.
In contrast, quiet luxury flies under the radar. It is not centred on conveying status or social class; instead, it focuses on heritage, quality and craftsmanship.
Those who come from old wealth tend to favour quiet luxury brands to dress anonymously chic, because those houses offer products with subtle or no marking or logos, and only those with a trained eye, or that belong to the same wealthy circle, will recognise the products. Think Carolyn Kennedy and her 90’s chic minimalism as a reference.
When Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s billionaire founder, fronts up to a meeting in the Silicon Valley, he is always dressed in the same uniform: basic t-shirt and casual denim pants. His taste in fashion has been criticized for not corresponding to his wealth, but what many don’t know is that many of his t-shirts are custom made by Brunello Cuccinelli and retail for around $400 dollars.
Examples of quiet luxury brands that you probably don’t hear much about are: Loro Piana, Brunello Cuccinelli, Valextra, Delvaux, Kiton, and Brioni.
Delvaux, the Belgian luxury house, is the oldest luxury leather goods company that many never heard of, and its bags are worn by royal Princesses Maxima of Netherlands and Claire of Luxembourg, and celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Sarah Jessica Parker, Katie Holmes and Rihanna.
The trend for quiet luxury is also on the rise, with consumers shifting from conspicuous consumption to a more meaningful consumption, with a deeper personal fulfillment, instead of being determined by the social status they might gain from the external logomania validation through others.
The American brand The Row, founded in New York in 2005 by the Olsen sisters, offers high-end goods that exude understated chic. The fashion market also witnessed the Italian fashion house Bottega Venetta having a big spike in popularity in the last 2 years, following a rebrand under Daniel Lee’s creative direction. The brand became one of the most hyped brands of 2019 despite not showcasing any logos and focusing on minimal and timeless designs. The Italian heritage brand Max Mara, one of the world’s first luxury ready-to-wear brands produced at scale and known for its iconic coats, is also an all-time favourite brand for those that value design and craftsmanship above simple brand status. The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, is a fan of the feminine and elegant designs.
The quiet logo does speak volume, and a significant segment of the population prefers not to be branded with flashy items, but to be understated, willing to pay higher prices for exquisite, hand-crafted clothing, that showcases subtle excellence.
Aleska Servian is a freelance writer, finalist of the Melbourne Fashion Festival Writing program and a full time assistant buyer for designer beauty brands.
Follow her on Instagram at @aleska.servian
Top image: The Business of Fashion/Getty Images
